No.90 April 5 ,2024

Mt. FUJI 100 welcomes 3,400 athletes
from around the world under a new nameon April 26th and 27th
• The third race of the Gran Canaria World Trail Majors, featuring two races:
FUJI100mi and KAI70k• 3,400 participants from 34 countries and regions will run the race while enjoying
the view of Mt. Fuji as it changes over time
• The course running through the foothills of Mt. Fuji requires a balance of challenging
trail climbs and descents and smooth running surfaces• Live programs with commentary on the FUJI100mi race from the event venue andcourse are planned to be broadcast in Japanese and English
The Mt. FUJI 100 (formerly known as ULTRA-TRAIL Mt. FUJI) will hold its 10th event on
Friday, April 26th and Saturday, April 27th. 3,400 athletes will participate in two races: the166.6km "FUJI100mi" with a cumulative elevation gain of 7,039m, and the 69.4km"KAI70k" with a cumulative elevation gain of 3,493m, which covers the second half of theFUJI100mi course. The areas around Mt. Fuji, known as a representative international trailrunning event venue in Japan, will welcome trail runners and their families from 34 countries
and regions around the world, serving as the stage for the "Emotional Discovery", subtitle ofthis year's event.

Mt. FUJI 100 becomes a member of Gran Canaria World TrailMajors
This year's event will be held for the first time under the new name Mt. FUJI 100. In

1addition, it will also be the first edition as a member of the international trail running circuit,"Gran Canaria World Trail Majors".
The Gran Canaria World Trail Majors was created in November 2023, with Mt. FUJI 100 as
one of its founding members. It is a non-profit organization established by trail running events
around the world that share values such as respecting the diversity, identity, nature, andculture of trail running events and their locations. Currently, there are 10 events participating.
For more information about Gran Canaria World Trail Majors, please visit the following
website: https://worldtrailmajors.com/© Fuji Hakone Izu Trail Support

It started with a passion to create a world-class trail running event
in Japan
Mt. Fuji is a symbol of Japan's rich nature and spiritual culture. The idea of holding an event
where runners would run a 100-mile trail around the foothills of Mt. Fuji for two days andnights was conceived by the event chairman, Tsuyoshi Kaburaki. As one of the few
professional athletes in the early days of the Japanese trail running scene, Kaburaki, who put
his heart and soul into challenging the UTMB, had a dream of "realizing this emotional
experience at Mt. Fuji".

2At that time, there were no events in Japan where more than 1,000 runners participatedand ran for two full days, and there were many difficulties in realizing the dream. However,
Kaburaki's dream inspired his friends, and the first event was realized in 2012. Since then,Mt. FUJI 100 has grown to become a leading trail running event in Japan. It has gained
popularity among trail running fans as an opportunity to challenge their own limits and test
their potential.
The popularity of the event has also spread overseas, and it has attracted attention fromaround the world as a high-level race featuring many top international athletes. In the 100mile race, François D'Haene (France) and Núria Picas (Spain), who won the men's andwomen's races respectively in 2014, became the annual champions of the international race
circuit, Ultra-Trail World Tour.
Last year in 2023, the victories of China's Jiaju Zhao and Fuzhao Xiang in the men's andwomen's races respectively symbolized the growing popularity of trail running in Asia. For thisyear's 2024 event, there are over 300 participants from four countries and regions: China,Hong Kong, Thailand, and South Korea.

© Fuji Hakone Izu Trail Support

On the occasion of the 10th event, chairman of organizing committee Kaburaki says, "Ihope the event will be an opportunity to connect with friends and family and to interact withpeople from all over the world. And through the great trail running journey, I would like toconvey to society at large the excitement of discovering a yet-unknown self.”

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The course around the active volcano Mt. Fuji is a challenging
course full of variety
The course for Mt. FUJI 100 is the foothills area surrounding Mt. Fuji, the highest mountainin Japan. In contrast to the desolate summit area, only 300 years after the last eruption, thefoothills area is a trail running paradise with lush green mountains, forests, and clear lakes.
On the other hand, Mt. Fuji has long been regarded as a symbol of great nature and an objectof worship, and towns have flourished in the foothills to accommodate pilgrims from all overJapan. You can feel this history in the townscapes that appear between the courses.
Commenting on the unique characteristics of the Mt. Fuji 100 as a trail running course,
Dylan Bowman (USA), the 2016 and 2018 champion, said, "The unique thing about Mt. Fuji
is that it alternates between flat, runnable sections and long, tough climbs and descents."
Climbing and descending steep slopes of rocks and tree roots is followed by long stretches ofless hilly trails and paved roads that require athletes to balance not only their running ability
but also their pace on various terrain.

© Fuji Hakone Izu Trail Support© Fuji Hakone Izu Trail Support

Top athletes from around the world gather
This year's Mt. FUJI 100 will also see top athletes from overseas and Japan. Courtney
Dauwalter (USA), the 2018 champion, will participate in the FUJI100mi for the first time insix years. Last year, in addition to her third win at UTMB, she achieved the feat of winning
both the Western States and Hardrock 100 with new course records. Dauwalter, who hasmade a name for herself around the world as the strongest female trail runner, just won theTransgrancanaria, our World Trail Majors fellow event, for the second time in February. Also4

entering from the United States is Nicole Bitter (USA), who finished 3rd at Javelina Jundred
100 in 2022 and 2nd at the Bandera 100k last year, making her mark in Americanultrarunning. Attention is also focused on Ki Chun Wong (Hong Kong, China), who finishedsecond in the 100km race at last year's TransLantau by UTMB and 7th in the 100km race atthe Hong Kong 100, the kick off race of World Trail Majors last January.
Among the Japanese athletes, Chizuru Ofuchi, who finished 3rd in this race last year, Yumi
Hosokawa, who finished 4th, Kanako Edamoto, who finished 10th, and Junko Yano, whofinished 2nd in 2022, will line up at the starting line. Yukari Seimiya, who made a splash bywinning 110km in Shin-Etsu Five Mountains Trail last year, her first race over 100km, will betaking on her first 100-mile challenge.
In the men's FUJI100mile, Andreu Simon Aymerich (Spain), winner of last year's
Transgrancanaria Classic, and Gregoire Curmer (France), who won the 2019 Grand RaidRéunion, will compete from Europe. From China, Guidu Qin, who finished 4th in Hong Kong
100 100km in January, Guomin Deng, who finished 5th in the same race, and John Ray"Stingley" Onifa (Philippines), who lives in Hong Kong and won TransLantau by UTMB 50km
last year, have registered.
Among the Japanese, Yuya Kawasaki, who finished 2nd in last year's FUJI100mi,Tomonori Onitsuka, who finished 3rd, Hajime Mamba, who finished 4th, Takashi Doi, whofinished 2nd in 2022, and Kento Tamura, who won last year's KAI70k, will line up at thestarting line. The men's race is expected to be as intense as womenʼs.
Two athletes will represent Japan in the women's KAI70k. Yuri Yoshizumi just finished 6th
in this year's Transgrancanaria Classic. A resident of Fujiyoshida, the host city of this event,she is currently on a five-year winning streak in the Mt. Fuji Ascent Race. She won the KAI70kin 2022. On the other hand, Honoka Akiyama placed 9th in the long distance event atMountain and Trail Running World Championships last year. Stephanie Howe, the 2014
Western States champion, will also be competing from the United States. In addition, Erika
Fukuda, who won the 110km Shin-Etsu Five Mountains Trail in 2022, Natsuki Tomii, whowon 28km in Hakuba International Classic in 2023, and Emi Iwai, who finished 3rd in 100kmof Oku-Shinano 100 in 2023, will join the list of athletes to watch this time around.
The favorite to win the men's KAI70k is Goshi Osada, who won the 115km Aso Volcano
Trail and 100km in Oku-Shinano 100 last season. Koji Morimoto and Yutaro Yokouchi, bothof whom recently represented Japan at the World Trail Running Championships, are expected5

to join the leaders group. It will be interesting to see how Spanish veteran Tofol Castañyer
joins the group of Japanese athletes. He finished 2nd in Marathon du Mont Blanc and won
CCC in 2012, and finished 2nd in UTMB in 2014. He also has experience in our event, finishing
12th in the 100-mile in 2019. In addition, Xingjing Li (China), who won the 50km TransJeju
by UTMB in 2023, and Japanese athletes Hajime Kasagi, Minoru Yoshihara, and Tomohiro
Machida are expected to perform well.

Live streaming to showcase the progress of top athletes and theappeal of the event to the world
During the Mt. FUJI 100 event period, participants can be searched on "Ouen Navi" to checktheir passing status and location information, and the "Leaderboard" will be updated with thepassing status of the top 100 athletes in each category. IBUKIGPS also provides informationon the location of FUJI100mi elite athletes and IBKIGPS holders.
During the event, please check the following sites for information on each athlete's location,ranking, running time, and other status.
Ouen Navi https://v2.ouennavi.jp/teaser/?eid=000000000338673
Leaderboard https://leaderboard.runnet.jp/?tri=02524_20240426_01
Available: April 26 (Fri) 0:00 - April 28 (Sun) 23:59
IBUKIGPS* https://ibuki.run/ev/8963646647679083605/*Only for elite athletes in FUJI100mi and athletes with their own IBUKIGPSLive programs in both Japanese and English will be broadcast from the late evening ofThursday, April 25, just before the start of the FUJI100mi until the late evening of Friday,
April 26, when the top athletes finish. The programs will include footage from aid stations andthe course, with commentary in both Japanese and English.
Japanese program: Mt. FUJI 100 official YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/@mtfuji100
English program: Gran Canaria World Trail Majors official YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WorldTrailMajors
In addition, Mt. FUJI 100's social media will provide updates on the event and information
as it happens.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mt.fuji100/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mt.FUJI100/
X: https://twitter.com/MtFUJI100

6About Gran Canaria World Trail Majors
Gran Canaria World Trail Majors is a non-profit association formed by ten independent trail
running races with the aim of promoting the sport in a diverse, sustainable, and respectful
way that aims to safeguard the original spirit of Trail/Ultra running. The association is formedbyAnta

HongKong

100

Ultramarathon,BlackCanyon

Ultras,TheNorth

FaceTransgrancanaria, Mt. Fuji 100, MIUT - Madeira Island Ultra-Trail, Swiss Canyon Trail, SouthDowns Way 100, Quebec Mega Trail, Grand Raid des Pyrenees and RMB Ultra-Trail CapeTown. 2024 is the inaugural year for this race series.
For contact, please email to: press@worldtrailmajors.com or your local race.
Web: https://worldtrailmajors.com/Press Meeting Point to download resources:
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1MCJ3AwKTj-ul85HK2euPdIX9MjOcBkOF
Follow World Trail Majors on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094819887205
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldtrailmajors/
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/worldtrailmajrs
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WorldTrailMajors
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@worldtrailmajors

Contact information

Mt. FUJI100 Race Headquarters
955-1 Shuzenji, Izu City, Shizuoka, Japan 410- 2416
TEL: 0558-80-9700
FAX: 0558-80-9207
Email: press@mtfuji100.com
Website: https://mtfuji100.com/en/
Facebook︓ https://www.facebook.com/Mt.FUJI100/
X︓ https://twitter.com/MtFUJI100
Instagram︓ https://www.instagram.com/mt.fuji100/
YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYTG7HNLx89OeaOsknc6mTg*Back numbers of the past press releases: https://mtfuji100.com/enpress/*If you would like to see official photos of the competition for the press,
please contact the above race headquarters.

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